Attending Your Second Choice College | Illumination | Personal Photo Essay

I’m So Thankful I Didn’t Go to My First Choice College

My second choice college had many unique opportunities and a solid reputation for success.

Photo taken by Dana Gentry

Despite my living in North Carolina and a lot of my family’s love for UNC-Chapel Hill, I was born and bred a Clemson fan.

Clemson University is where my parents met and it’s where some of my other family members went as well. I grew up loving Clemson, wearing its t-shirts and even a cheerleading costume my dad got when I was a kid.

When I toured colleges, I fell in love with Clemson. It just felt right to me. I loved the campus, the fact my parents had gone there and the funny student tour guide, who said “Please ask me questions; I ask for questions for Christmas.”

Photo co-owned by Ashley Broadwater (author)

But Clemson is in South Carolina, so I would’ve had to pay out-of-state tuition. I could’ve gotten in-state tuition, but my test scores weren’t high enough.